Page 1133 - Sports
Crunch time for Cannavaro's Evergrande in Chinese Super League
Fabio Cannavaro's Guangzhou Evergrande face a critical five days that could go a long way towards deciding who wins the Chinese Super League's most closely contested title race in years. The stakes could hardly be higher for the Italian World Cup winner, as failure to steer Evergrande to an eighth successive CSL crown would put his job under severe scrutiny after only a year in charge. With a third of the season left, Beijing Guoan lead the CSL, two points clear of Shanghai SIPG and three ahead of Evergrande -- and with a game in hand over both. Cannavaro's side host the capital club on Friday knowing they could go top with victory, then travel to SIPG on Tuesday. The title chase is too close to call but Evergrande have impetus after dragging themselves back into contention thanks largely to the July loan signings of Brazilian midfielders Paulinho, from Barcelona, and Anderson Talisca, from Benfica. Evergrande needed a 91st-minute winner to defeat mid-table Shanghai Shenhua 2-1 in ...
ICC ODI ranking: Bumrah look to maintain numero uno position
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah will look to maintain his top position in the ICC ODI bowlers ranking during the Asia Cup which begins here on Saturday. "The Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates is going to be huge and I'm really looking forward to doing my best here," Bumrah said. "Being at the top of the ICC rankings is a matter of great pride for me. We will be playing against some leading players and I know the conditions can be challenging but I'm hoping to be at my best." Several leading players, including Bumrah, will go into the Asia Cup aiming to consolidate their positions ICC rankings and also use the multi-nation tournament to prepare for next year's Cricket World Cup. While Bumrah, who has a lead of 20 points over Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan, will hope to continue to hold on to his numero uno status, spinners Kuldeep Yadav (sixth) and Yuzvendra Chahal (joint-ninth) too will look to consolidate position in the top 10. Pakistan's Hasan Ali is also looking to claw his way
Mallya exit from Force India leaves India's F1 hope Jehan Daruvala in lurch
Vijay Mallya's unceremonious exit from Force India has jeopardised the future of India's biggest Formula 1 hope Jehan Daruvala. Nineteen-year-old Daruvala, a product of the Force India Academy, was expected to get his big break with the Silverstone squad later in his fledgling career but now that has become highly unlikely after Mallya was forced to let go of the team's ownership. Force India, who was put into administration in July due to financial troubles, overcame the difficult period last month, when it got the backing of a consortium of investors led by Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll. Daruvala is into his second year of European Formula 3 and is lying in 10th spot with 117.5 points. He showed what he can do at Spa in July, when he won the opening race from pole position. But since then, he has had a lean run and needs to do much more for F1 teams to take notice. In the current scenario, what also goes against him is his longtime association with Force India. "Only Vijay ...
Former England captain Collingwood announces retirement
Former England skipper Paul Collingwood is set to retire at the end of the ongoing domestic season, ending a career spanning more than two decades.
Kohli needs to learn about field placements, bowling changes: Gavaskar
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar reckons that Virat Kohli still has a "lot to learn" tactically after their humiliating 1-4 defeat against England in the just-concluded five-Test series. "He (Virat) still has a lot to learn. Like we saw in South Africa earlier and now in England too, there were instances when right field placements or timely bowling changes made by him could have made a big difference. That was missing again. It has just been two years (he took over four years back) since he took over as a captain so at times the lack of experience shows," Gavaskar told India Today news channel. The 'Little Master', however, played down Kohli's much-publicised reaction to a reporter's query about whether he agreed with coach Ravi Shastri on this being the best travelling team in last 15 years. While the question asked by the scribe was "justified", Gavaskar felt may be the timing was wrong. "That is probably the wrong time to ask him that question. He (Virat) must have been ...
Sarita, Mary Kom in semis; assured of medals at Polish boxing tourney
L Sarita Devi advanced to the semifinals to be assured of a medal along with the celebrated M C Mary Kom, who got a direct entry into the last-four stage of the 13th International Silesian Boxing Championship for women in Gliwice, Poland. Sarita, a former world champion and Asian Games bronze-medallist, defeated Czech Republic's Alena Czechy 5-0 Wednesday night after going past Kazakhstan's Aizan Khojabekova in the opening round of the 60kg category the day before. She will now square off against another Kazakh in Karina Ibragimova in the semifinals. Five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist Mary Kom is yet to set foot inside the ring but is through to the semis owing to the small size of the draw in the light flyweight 48kg category. India's first and only Asian Games gold medal-winning woman boxer is returning to the ring after missing the recently-concluded edition in Jakarta due to minor fitness issues. Among other Indians in fray, Ritu Grewal won her bout against ...
Bengaluru mountaineer dies enroute to Mt Bhagirathi-II
A member of a mountaineering team from Bengaluru died at Bhojwasa while on their way to Mt Bhagirathi-II peak in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand early Thursday. Bharat Ashok was part of the five-member team of climbers from Bengaluru. He fell sick at Nandan Van en route to the peak, the State Emergency Operation Centre said. Ashok was taken by his fellow mountaineers to Bhojwasa where he died at around 2 am, it said. The team had started on its expedition to climb the peak on September 7, the Centre added.
England's Paul Collingwood retires from cricket
Former England all-rounder Paul Collingwood announced on Thursday that he will end his professional career at the end of the season, 22 years after making his first-class debut. A three-time Ashes winner and the only man to captain England to a global trophy after leading them to glory in the 2010 World Twenty20, Collingwood played 68 Tests, 197 one-day internationals and 36 T20 matches. The 42-year-old has been described by his county side Durham as their "greatest-ever run scorer and most illustrious player". "After much thought and deliberation I have decided to announce my retirement from cricket at the end of the current season," Collingwood said. "I knew this day would eventually come but it hasn't made it any easier -- although it's an emotional decision I know that the time is right and I'm comfortable knowing that I have given every last ounce of energy to the sport." Durham chairman Ian Botham said: "Paul is one of the greatest all-rounders to ever grace the game of cricket .
Current U-16 crop better than what we used to be at their age: Gurpreet
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, the first-choice goalkeeper of the Indian football team, says the current U-16 boys, preparing for the AFC Championship in Malaysia, are better than what the current senior players were at their age. The colts, being coached by Bibiano Fernandes, have played 20 international friendlies against various U-16 national teams since January 2018 and are presently gearing up for the AFC Championship, which kicks off in Kuala Lumpur from September 20. "It's a very positive development. If we would have that much exposure what they have been receiving at the moment, who knows things would have been much different. They are very lucky and need to make the most of it," Gurpreet said. "But overall, I'm very happy that they are getting such opportunities and that youth football is being taken so seriously. After all, they are our future." The U-16 boys are playing Vietnam, Iran and Indonesia at the group stage. Asked what would be his message to the team, Gurpreet said, "I ..
Football legend Pirlo could play match for Aussie club
Star Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo could take to the field next week for a semi final match in the Football Federation Australia competition, the FFA Cup, with local side Avondale FC confirming they are in advanced talks.
Sarita, Mary Kom in semis, assured of medals at Polish boxing tourney
L Sarita Devi advanced to the semifinals to be assured of a medal along with the celebrated M C Mary Kom, who got a direct entry into the last-four stage of the 13th International Silesian Boxing Championship for women in Gliwice, Poland. Sarita, a former world champion and Asian Games bronze-medallist, defeated Czech Republic's Alena Czechy 5-0 Wednesday night after going past Kazakhstan's Aizan Khojabekova in the opening round of the 60kg category the day before. She will now square off against another Kazakh in Karina Ibragimova in the semifinals. Five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist Mary Kom is yet to set foot inside the ring but is through to the semis owing to the small size of the draw in the light flyweight 48kg category. India's first and only Asian Games gold medal-winning woman boxer is returning to the ring after missing the recently-concluded edition in Jakarta due to minor fitness issues. Among other Indians in fray, Ritu Grewal won her bout against ...
Iran's Ansarifard joins Nottingham Forest
Iran international striker Karim Ansarifard has joined English football club Nottingham Forest, Tasnim news agency reported.
Mexico to host Costa Rica, Chile in friendlies
Mexico will host Costa Rica and Chile in international friendlies next month, the country's football federation has said.
Another stadium named after France coach Deschamps
France head coach Didier Deschamps has got a second stadium named after him following the triumph at the 2018 FIFA World Cup with the national football team.
Sindhu, Prannoy lose; Srikanth sails into quarters at Japan Open
Fatigue caught up with India's premier shuttler P V Sindhu as she was upstaged in straight games but Kidambi Srikanth entered quarterfinals of the USD 700,000 Japan Open here Thursday. Sindhu was beaten by China's Gao Fangjie in the women's singles second round, her first preliminary exit in almost a year. The Indian went down fighting 18-21 19-21 in 55 minutes to the world no 14 Chinese. She had lost in the opening round at the Denmark Open last October. Former world no.1 Srikanth, however, didn't break a sweat as he avenged his Asian Games loss to Hong Kong's Wong Wing Ki Vincent with a clinical 21-15 21-14 victory to enter the men's singles quarterfinals. The seventh-seeded Indian, who won a silver at the Commonwealth Games, will face Korea's Lee Dong Keun next. However, it was curtains for the other Indian in the men's draw, HS Prannoy, as he went down to giant-killer Anthony Sinisuka Ginting. The world no.10 Indonesian defeated formidable Japanese Kento Momota and Olympic ...
UEFA insists no talks on Champions League final in New York
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has denied reports in Spain of ongoing talks to play the 2021 Champions League final in New York. Ceferin says in a statement: "This idea is currently not being discussed at all." UEFA is set to decide next year where to stage its marquee club game in 2021. This week, the chief executive of Spanish Champions League rights holder Mediapro told a radio station that UEFA is "investigating the feasibility" of a Champions League final in New York. Mediapro holds the rights through 2021. However, Ceferin says: "UEFA has no plans to stage the Champions League final outside Europe." In a 2016 interview with The Associated Press, Ceferin said it "might be an idea in future." The Spanish league wants to start playing one game a year in the United States.
India eye upset against Djokovic-less Serbia in Davis Cup tie
India's depleted Davis Cup squad will bank on the consistency of Prajnesh Gunneswaran to pull the side through when it takes on a shorn-of-star-power Serbia in the World Group Play-off tie here from Friday. Recently-crowned US Open champion Novak Djokovic's decision to opt out of the play-offs along with world number 33 Filip Krajinovic has raised hopes of an equal contest between the two teams. Playing away is still is an enormous task for the Indian team, which has landed here without its top singles player Yuki Bhambri and Asian Games men's doubles gold medallist Divij Sharan. But the combined experience of the Indian players in Davis Cup is 43 ties as compared to just 14 of the line-up in the home side, something which the visitors would look to exploit. In the absence of an injured Yuki, a lot would depend on how the left-handed Prajnesh, who won a singles bronze medal at the Asian Games, performs. The 28-year-old won the deciding fifth rubber against rising Chinese star Yibing ..
Japan's Osaka has 'no regrets' over chaotic US Open final
Japan's Naomi Osaka has refused to criticise Serena Williams after her historic US Open victory was overshadowed by the American's furious row with the chair umpire. The 20-year-old melted hearts when she broke down sobbing after thrashing her idol 6-2, 6-4 to become Japan's first Grand Slam singles champion in New York last weekend. Japanese tennis legend Kimiko Date told AFP it made her "heart ache" to see Osaka reduced to tears and unable to savour her moment of glory. But after returning to Japan on Thursday, Osaka insisted there were no hard feelings towards Williams, who branded umpire Carlos Ramos a "thief" in an astonishing tantrum triggered by a code violation for coaching that culminated in a docked game. "For me I don't feel sad because I wouldn't even know what I'm expected to feel," said Osaka, who has climbed from 19th to seventh in the new world rankings. "I don't think I even thought about feeling sad because there's no experience for me to draw on in any other Grand ..
Japan's Sapporo mulls shifting Winter Olympic bid to 2030
Japan's northern city of Sapporo is considering changing its bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics to 2030 when transport links will have improved, a city official said Thursday. The majority of Olympic and local officials, as well as business leaders, believe "the 2030 option will be a better environment to host the Games", city official Akihiro Okumura told AFP. The comment came after Japanese reports said the city would "soon" tell International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach in Lausanne they wanted to shelve their 2026 bid. While Sapporo's vice-mayor Takatoshi Machida and Japanese Olympic Committee boss Tsunekazu Takeda will visit Bach, they will discuss the recent earthquake near Sapporo that killed 41 people, Okumura said. "I can't predict whether they would discuss" the possible change of plan to 2030, he added. But he noted that the city, on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, will have better transport links by 2030 when the country's shinkansen bullet train will ..
Two more junior gold medals for India at shooting world c'ships
Udhayveer Singh, all of 16, shone bright with an individual gold in the junior men's 25m pistol event after spearheading India to the team gold in the World Shooting Championships here Thursday. Singh shot a score of 587 (291 in precision and 296 in rapid) in the individual competition to grab the gold ahead of American Henry Leverett (584) and Korean Lee Jaekyoon (582). Compatriot Vijayveer Sidhu finished fourth with a score of 581, while Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu took the 20th spot with a score of 568. The trio's combined score of 1736 fetched the team gold for India followed by China, which totalled 1730. The bronze medal went to Team Korea, which shot a score of 1721. In the senior competition, Sheeraz Sheikh was the best-placed Indian at eighth after day one of the men's skeet qualification with a score of 49. Angad Vir Singh was 69th after shooting 47, while Mairaj Ahmed (41) was further down at 79th. The Indian team, comprising the trio, was 16th in the overall standings with a ...